The University of Southern California's Interactive Media Division maintains the top university-level video game design program in North America, according to The Princeton Review's new top 50 list.

Assembled in conjunction with GamePro Magazine, the list ranks the top eight schools by quality, then includes the remaining 42 as a general group. The Princeton Review publishes a variety of guides to universities and colleges.

After USC, The Princeton Review says Redmond-based DigiPen Institute of Technology, Drexel University, Becker College, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute were deemed to be the continent's next best options for prospective developers. Although the list pertains to both Canada and the United States, only one Canadian school -- the Art Institute of Vancouver -- was included.

The Princeton Review says it assembled its list from a pool of 700 schools, 500 of which it surveyed. It based its selections on criteria including curriculum quality, school staff and infrastructure, scholarships and financial aid, and career opportunities.

Some frequently-cited development courses, including those at Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center and Southern Methodist University's Guildhall, were not included in the top 50, since they do not offer undergraduate programs.

"Our core mission is providing parents and students with good admission advice," said The Princeton Review content development director David Soto in a statement. "We're hoping this can add legitimacy to an emerging market."